


Adventures in Embroidery

by TheFreeJoker42



Series: Metsubojinrai.fam [6]
Category: Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Christmas, Family, Found Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27559039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFreeJoker42/pseuds/TheFreeJoker42
Summary: Subaru spends some one-on-one time with Horobi on Christmas Eve.
Series: Metsubojinrai.fam [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607857
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	Adventures in Embroidery

Subaru… stared. He’d never really learned that many socialisation skills, Rai- no, Ikazuchi, Ikazuchi always handled the public relations side of things, guiding Subaru but never letting him get too _close_ to the humans in question. At first, Subaru just thought he was being overprotective, he was the older brother, it was his nature, but now he understood why, even if Ikazuchi didn’t at the time. There was always still that lingering fear of humans even when he didn’t remember. 

But this wasn’t a human, this was someone he knew he could trust, he knew he had nothing to be afraid of, but… it was his first time at Daybreak without Ikazuchi, and the HumaGear he’d spent the last year being _told_ to fear was… well, he was perfectly calm, not even remotely scary, but Subaru still felt like he _should_ be intimidated. 

Horobi looked up, with a perfectly peaceful expression. He’d been sitting at his desk when Subaru entered, focusing heavily on something, something round and flexible yet steady at the same time, a cream background with something pink… Subaru had no clue what it was, but it rested in Horobi’s lap as he spoke. 

“Subaru. Ikazuchi is running a little late, he should be here soon.” 

Subaru nodded slowly. It was Christmas Eve, their first since… Well, the first one they’d ever celebrate together, freely, and Ikazuchi was adamant that it had to be perfect, and the whole family had to be there. Subaru was just… expecting Ikazuchi to be there when he arrived. 

“... Please make yourself comfortable.” 

At that point, Subaru realised he’d just been awkwardly, and honestly quite creepily, lingering in the doorway. He took a few anxious steps in, and chose the nearest seat. 

“Where’s Naki and Jin?” Subaru asked, trying to make light conversation. 

“Naki is helping Ikazuchi with last minute preparations,” Horobi answered, resuming his task, “Jin is… I’m not sure, he says it’s secret.” 

Subaru nodded again. He was sitting perfectly straight, his hands in his lap, unsure quite what to do with them. His gaze once again fell on whatever was in Horobi’s hands. It involved a needle and thread, he could see that now. 

An uncomfortable silence passed them before Subaru finally asked, “What are you doing?” 

Horobi looked up again with a more confused look this time, as if he couldn’t comprehend why anyone would be asking about _him_. 

“Embroidery.” 

“... Can I see?” 

After yet another silence, Horobi nodded gently, and pulled up another chair for Subaru to sit beside him, which he very cautiously did. He didn’t want to overstep, but at the same time, he was fascinated. It was a pink bird, a falcon, delicately sewn into the fabric held in a wooden hoop. 

“You did that? Can… you show me?” 

“... Of course.” 

Subaru watched carefully as Horobi displayed this utter magic. The needle would thread in and out and in and out and Horobi just knew where to go next, the bright pink thread making flawless patterns, until suddenly, there was a wing. It was completely incomprehensible. 

On the desk, he also noticed what appeared to be a red dodo, and a silver… snake? Subaru tilted his head. The dodo he understood, but… 

“Snake?” 

“Naki was unhappy sharing a progrise animal with Vulcan, so I designed them something new.” 

Further exploration of the desk showed that there was indeed a blue embroidered wolf too, and a bright orange cheetah. 

“Would you like to try?” 

Subaru smiled. “Yes please.” 

Horobi grabbed another square of fabric, and fixed it to another wooden hoop, before passing it to Subaru, along with what appeared to be a felt tip pen. 

“This is water-soluble, if you’d like to draw a pattern, it will wash away easily.” 

“Okay…” Subaru sat with the pen weighing heavily in his hand, staring intently at the blank piece of fabric for _something_ to happen, until eventually embarrassingly admitting… “I… don’t know how to…” 

Horobi softened, offering an almost… sympathetic look. HumaGear weren’t created with imagination in mind, were never taught how or encouraged or even allowed to be creative for the most part. It was something Subaru had watched his extended family learn over time, Jin was of course very into art, Naki had recently started learning fashion design, and Ikazuchi had even been talking about writing a book about forgotten constellations. But Subaru, he never quite got the hang of it. His lack of a creative mind wasn’t really something he thought about often, but when it came up, he couldn’t help but feel insecure about it. 

“I understand. Why don’t we start simple? What are your interests? What makes you… happy?” 

Subaru thought about this, one particular answer screaming at him. He waited a little for any other potential answers to pop up, but nothing did. He really only seemed to be genuinely interested in one thing, and he was almost afraid to say it, especially to Horobi. He didn’t fight so hard for their freedom, only for them to… do exactly what they were programmed to do. Still, lacking anything else, he tentatively responded. 

“Space?” 

But to Subaru’s surprise, Horobi didn’t seem particularly disappointed or even perplexed by his answer, in fact he was sure a small smile threatened to pull at the corner of his lips. 

“Then, why not an aspect of space?” 

“Right… which aspect?” 

"Well, to begin simply… why not the Subaru constellation?" 

Subaru’s face lit up, before falling back down again. “Is that… are you sure… I mean…” He sighed. “I don’t want to undermine everything you’ve worked for.” 

Horobi tilted his head. “What do you mean?” 

“It’s just… you went through so much for us, and I’m… still just doing exactly what I was programmed for.” 

“But you enjoy doing what you do, don’t you?”

Subaru nodded. 

“The important part is that we have the freedom to choose how to live our own lives, to not have our lives be dictated by humans. If you choose to continue working at the observatory, then that is your choice, and you’re entitled to it.” 

“... Are you sure?” 

“You don’t need anyone’s approval to enjoy doing something.” 

Subaru nodded slowly… and began mapping out the constellation on the fabric by memory. 

“I feel terrible.” Ikazuchi said as he and Naki hurried through the regular Christmas crowd. He hadn’t even noticed the time passing them, or he would have made damn sure to warn Subaru he was going to be late. As much as he so wished for everybody to bond, he knew such things would take time. 

“Ikazuchi, it isn’t your fault she didn’t want to serve us.” 

It was only supposed to be a quick, last minute trip - something the internet had warned them to avoid, but holiday preparedness would surely come with practice - but the manager had just… _really_ not wanted to deal with them after a handful of customers had clearly complained about them. ‘How would a HumaGear even be able to pay for this stuff, they clearly stole the money’, ‘I refuse to support a business that serves _terrorists_ ’, ‘they have no business being in here, do HumaGear even do Christmas?’ 

The poor HumaGear at the till had offered them apologetic looks as the manager had gone out of her way coming up with excuse after excuse to refuse to serve them, until eventually, Ikazuchi had had enough, and he simply walked out. 

“So much for ‘Christmas spirit.’” Naki continued, muttering under their breath. It wasn’t really something that bothered them, it was something they knew they had to deal with. What bothered them was their loved ones being upset. 

“It’s fine. We tried.” 

“Still… if you need me for any… revenge…” 

“Naki! What has gotten into you?” Ikazuchi gasped, trying and terribly failing to hide his pride in his young protégé. 

They finally reached Daybreak, readying themselves for the difficult conversation of why exactly they weren’t able to buy anything - not that they even had that much money in the first place, what with Naki being the only one actually receiving any pay for their work, and even then, it was more of a courtesy, ‘HumaGear don’t need living wages’ and all that, and it was less an official wage, and more something some of their colleagues pooled together every month. Honestly, with the little they were carrying, why would anyone even go to any effort to steal that? 

Okay, no, Ikazuchi desperately needed to calm down before explaining the situation to Horobi. And apologising to Subaru for leaving him on his own. That would come first. 

“Did I break it?” He heard Subaru ask, his voice so distressed that his natural instinct was to run and fix whatever had happened, but the next voice made him stop in his tracks. 

“Oh no, the thread is just tangled, let me fix that for you.” 

Peaking round the door, he saw his little brother with Horobi, watching him carefully as he untangled the knot in the embroidery thread. They both looked so at peace, so comfortable together, so… happy. 

Naki looked up to him, and gestured for them both to enter. And with that new smile, and that happy feeling outweighing the frustration he’d felt just seconds ago, he did. 

“We’re home! What are you guys up to?” 

“Horobi’s teaching me embroidery!” Subaru said, gleaming, speaking much louder and more enthusiastically than he usually did around anyone who wasn’t _aniki_. 

“He’s doing remarkably well.” 

“That’s because I have a good teacher.” 

His warm smile growing, Ikazuchi glanced over at the desk, spotting the embroidery they’d specifically requested Horobi to do. 

“Horobi, you shouldn’t have.” 

“Oh, well I can take them back if you’d like.” 

“Oh ha, you think you’re so funny.” 

“Look, nii-san!” Subaru said, showing off his half-finished work with pride. 

“Your constellation! Nice work, Subaru!” Ikazuchi ruffled his little brother’s hair. 

“Did you two get everything you needed?” Horobi asked, their sudden downcast expressions easily answering his question. 

But Subaru was completely lost, not able to pick up on the silent answer. “What is it?” 

“We were refused service.” Naki explained. 

“Which is fine,” Ikazuchi said, his hand still on Subaru’s head, “we don’t need that stupid fake snowperson and pinecone thing anyway.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Horobi said a little too quickly. “We’re all here together, that’s the important thing. Or at least, we will be, when Jin decides to join us.” 

“Where is the little brat, anyway?” Ikazuchi asked with a lighthearted tone that said ‘I’m sorry Horobi I don’t really think he’s a brat please don’t disown me.’ 

As if on cue, a loud explosion echoed through the former ruins, and Horobi’s first instinct was naturally to run to the noise, just on the off-chance Jin was there. But his son emerged through a sudden layer of smoke before Horobi could. 

“I made a Christmas pudding!” He announced, holding a flaming cake out in front of him. 

And Horobi looked at his son, and the ordinary sponge cake doused in god-knows-what and soon to be reduced to ash, and back to his son, and… just had no word of a response whatsoever. All he could do was blink. 

“Well okay, I didn’t know how to make a Christmas pudding, but a pudding is basically a cake, right? And I didn’t have anything to light it on fire so I did it myself! I might have done it a _bit_ too much.” 

“But… you… it’s…” 

“Well fine if you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it!” Jin huffed, failing to fight off the smile, and set the plate down. 

“... but we don’t eat anyway.” 

“Well, well now you especially don’t have to eat it! Even if you could, you can’t! So, so there!” 

“Oh your spirit’s in the right place Jin,” Ikazuchi said with a laugh, “but you need to work on your argumentative skills.” 

Subaru couldn’t help but laugh along with them, and in that moment, he concocted a plan in his mind, and readied himself to ask Horobi if he could use some more embroidery supplies… for practice during the night, of course. 

They gathered the following morning, and of course the embroidered patterns weren’t the only gifts, Horobi had really gone out of his way to spoil everyone, which brought them to this moment, them each having been given a small box with their names written on them. 

Jin was of course first to excitedly break into his, pulling out something that had been wrapped in the pink falcon embroidered sheet he _knew_ his dad had been making, but still warmed his heart to hold. Folding it back with care, he found a small device he recognised from all those advertisements.

“This is _amazing_ , Horobi!” Ikazuchi said, holding his small, dark red device upside down in his hands. “Did you… make these?” He asked, knowing full well that, even with months to prepare, there was no way Horobi had acquired any sort of money to buy these. 

“I did.” 

“How did you know what to do?” 

“Fuwa-san kindly allowed me to study his own.” 

Subaru on the other hand was speechless, holding the delicate embroidered nicobar pigeon pattern in his hands, he hadn’t even taken in the actual gift yet. It was just something of a nickname, Subaru had mentioned how he doesn’t have a progrise animal, and Ikazuchi said if he did, it should be a nicobar pigeon, the closest living relative to the dodo. It was just a nickname that stuck. But Horobi had cared so much to include him in that… 

“Did… Did you paint them yourself?” Subaru asked, choking up a little, finally getting to his own gaming device, his one sporting a beautiful image of a supernova on the back. 

Horobi nodded softly, clearly not used to so much… praise. “I wanted them to feel personal.” 

Subaru didn’t know how to react. He wanted to thank them all for accepting him into the family, he wanted to stand up and hug Horobi, but instead, he settled for a simple ‘thank you.’

Before quickly pulling out his own gift. He wasn’t able to prepare his own gifts, which he’d been reassured many times was perfectly fine, but that Christmas Eve, he spent the night scouring the internet for the perfect reference image, the perfect scorpion to embroider. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> And whatever state the kitchen was in... it wasn't Jin's fault! 
> 
> \--
> 
> So... Whumptober didn't happen. Maybe it was a bad idea to try and do it after just suffering second (and a teensie tiny little bit third) degree burns. It was bound to catch up to me eventually. I'm still trying, just knowing I wouldn't be a completionist really knocked the drive out of me. But I had ideas I still want to do! 
> 
> But I just had this quick idea and rolled with it. Not having much family of my own left, I so very much want to try and do more just generally sweet 'Metsubojinrai.fam' stuff again! Now if only I could... you know... come up with ideas xD


End file.
